Continuous water level monitoring for sump pump system control

ABSTRACT

The disclosed system and methods continuously detect water levels in sump pumps and may implement control based on the detected water level. The disclosed systems may include a sensor assembly including one or more sensors that may be configured to detect a gravity vector relative to the sensor assembly housing, which may be analyzed to calculate a water level in a basin. The calculated water level may be used to assess water accumulation conditions, to control activation and deactivation of the sump pump, to assess performance of the sump pump system and its components, and to implement other control functions relating to the sump pump.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates generally to sump pumps and, moreparticularly, to systems and methods for continuously detecting waterlevel in sump pumps and implementing control based on the detected waterlevel.

BACKGROUND

A sump pump is a type of pump used to remove water that has accumulatedat a ground level or below ground level (e.g., a basement) of a property(e.g., a home, an office, or any other building or structure). The sumppump sends the water into pipes that lead away from the property so thatpotential flooding may be avoided. As such, failures in the sump pumpcan have disastrous consequences including water damages and insurancelosses. However, sump pump failures often occur without prior warning,and they may not be discovered until significant damage has been done.

SUMMARY

The described methods and systems enable continuous detection of thewater level in the sump pit. The determined water level can be used tocontrol activation and deactivation of the sump pump, as well as toimplement other controls of the sump pump. The disclosed methods andsystems offer an improvement over the conventional sump pump systemswith a discrete on/off switch. As the water level varies with rising orfalling water, a continuous reading of the water level can be used as anassessment of the water accumulation condition in the basement andcorresponding performance of the sump pump system.

In embodiments, a system for detecting water levels when implementingcontrol of a sump pump is implemented. The system includes a sump pumpdisposed in a sump basin and configured to pump water out of the sumpbasin via an outlet pipe, a float, a tether, and a sensory assembly. Thefloat is configured to be disposed in the sump basin such that it risesand falls in a manner corresponding to rises and falls of a water levelin the sump basin. The tether includes: (i) a proximal end that isconfigured to be proximal to and attached to an anchor point in the sumpbasin such that the proximal end maintains a vertically fixed positionregardless of changes of the water level; and (ii) a distal end that isconfigured to be distal to the anchor point and to be mechanicallylinked to the float such that a change in a vertical position of thefloat causes a corresponding change in the vertical position of thedistal end, wherein the tether is positionable and biased to a firststate in which a shortest straight-line distance between the distal endand the proximal end is a fixed value and wherein a change in the waterlevel causes the distal end to rotationally move around the proximalend. The sensor assembly includes a sensor configured to detect valuesfor a gravity vector, wherein the sensor assembly is attached to thetether such that the sensor detects a change from a first value to asecond value for the gravity vector when the distal end rotationallymoves around the proximal end of the tether; and one or more controllersthat are communicatively coupled to the sensor in the sensor assemblyand that are configured to: (i) calculate a set of values for the waterlevels based on the values of the gravity vector detected by the sensor,including first and second values for the water levels calculated basedon the first and second values for the gravity vector, respectively; and(ii) implement control of the sump pump based on the calculated set ofvalues.

In embodiments, a method for detecting water levels when implementingcontrol of a sump pump is implemented. The method may include one ormore of: implementing a sump pump disposed in a sump basin andconfigured to pump water out of the sump basin via an outlet pipe;implementing a float configured to be disposed in the sump basin suchthat it rises and falls in a manner corresponding to rises and falls ofa water level in the sump basin; implementing a tether including: (i) aproximal end that is configured to be proximal to and attached to ananchor point in the sump basin such that the proximal end maintains avertically fixed position regardless of changes of the water level; and(ii) a distal end that is configured to be distal to the anchor pointand to be mechanically linked to the float such that a change in avertical position of the float causes a corresponding change in thevertical position of the distal end, wherein the tether is positionableand biased to a first state in which a shortest straight-line distancebetween the distal end and the proximal end is a fixed value and whereina change in the water level causes the distal end to rotationally movearound the proximal end; detecting, via a sensor assembly including asensor configured to detect values for a gravity vector, wherein thesensor assembly is attached to the tether such that the sensor detects achange from a first value to a second value for the gravity vector whenthe distal end rotationally moves around the proximal end of the tether;and determining, with one or more controllers that are communicativelycoupled to the sensor in the sensor assembly and that are configured tocalculate a set of values for the water levels based on the values ofthe gravity vector detected by the sensor, including first and secondvalues for the water levels calculated based on the first and secondvalues for the gravity vector, respectively; and implementing control ofthe sump pump based on the determined water level.

Note, this summary has been provided to introduce a selection ofconcepts further described below in the detailed description. Asexplained in the detailed description, certain embodiments may includefeatures and advantages not described in this summary, and certainembodiments may omit one or more features or advantages described inthis summary.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an example sump pump system for continuous detectingof water levels and implementing controls in accordance with thedetected water levels, as shown in an example sump pump network system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example computing system to implementthe various user interfaces, methods, functions, etc., for maintainingand detecting failures of sump pumps, in accordance with disclosedembodiments.

FIG. 3A illustrates an example configuration of the continuous waterlevel sensor in operation, in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 3B illustrates an example configuration of the continuous waterlevel sensor in operation, in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 3C illustrates an example configuration of the continuous waterlevel sensor in operation, in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart depicting an example method that may beimplemented by way of any suitable equipment, hardware, machine-readableinstructions, or systems, such as the example sump pump controllersshown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , in accordance with disclosed embodiments.

The figures depict embodiments of this disclosure for purposes ofillustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize fromthe following discussion that alternate embodiments of the structuresand methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing fromthe principles set forth herein. In general, the same reference numberswill be used throughout the drawing(s) and accompanying writtendescription to refer to the same or like parts. The figures are notnecessarily to scale. Connecting lines or connectors shown in thevarious figures presented are intended to represent example functionalrelationships and/or physical or logical couplings between the variouselements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosed techniques enable continuous detection of water level in asump pump basin, as well as control of a sump pump in accordance withthe continuously detected water level or detected change in the waterlevel. The water level may be continuously detected by way of one ormore sensors in a sensor assembly disposed on or near a first end of atether having a second end that is attached to an anchor point in thesump basin. The tether (which may be semi-rigid) and sensor assembly maybe configured to rotate around the anchor point as water level changes(e.g., due to a float attached to the first end of the tether). Thesensors may be configured to continuously detect values for a gravityvector as the sensors rotate around the anchor point. In an embodiment,the sensor assembly may have a unique orientation at any given point asit rotates around the anchor point (e.g., the sensor assembly may bemounted and fixed to the tether). Because one may assume the gravityvector is constant relative to the center of the earth, and because thesensor assembly rotates around the anchor point as water levels rise andfall (e.g., rather than simply going up or down), the disclosed systemsmay assume that any particular gravity vector relative to the sensorassembly orientation is unique to a given water level. Accordingly,water levels may be calculated based on the continuously detectedgravity vectors.

As noted, the disclosed systems may implement a sensor assemblyincluding sensor(s) configured to detect a gravity vector (e.g., theforce and/or direction of gravity per unit mass at a given point)relative to the sensor assembly housing, which can be analyzed tocalculate water level in a basin. These sensor(s) may be or includegyroscopes, accelerometers, magnetometers, inertial measurement units(IMUs), or force acceleration sensors. Generally speaking, the sensorassembly may be disposed on or within the tether, and may be responsiveto the water such that, when the water level rises or drops, the sensorassembly responsively and proportionally rises or drops (e.g., in arotational manner).

The sensor assembly may be positioned on a tether or a band anchored toa stationary component of the sump pump system, such as a wall of thesump basin or the housing of the sump pump. The non-anchored end of thetether in turn may be attached to a float in such a way that as thefloat rises and falls corresponding to the water level in the sumpbasin, the non-anchored end of the tether moves with the float in thevertical plane causing the tether to rotate and/or bend. The sensorassembly may be attached to the tether in such a way that a change inposition of the float causes a corresponding change in position and/orrotation of the sensor assembly. As the sensor assembly changesposition, the gravity vector may be continuously detected or calculated,and the water level may be continuously calculated based on thecontinuously detected or calculated gravity vector. A controller may usethe detected water level in combination with other calculated or knownparameters (such as time, sump basin height and width, etc.) tocalculate change in water level rate over time, or to calculate watervolume and/or water volume change over time.

The described system may be configured to detect water level at set timeintervals or on-demand by a user (e.g., a home owner) or thecontroller(s), or by a third party (e.g., a home insuring entity). Thesensor assembly may be communicatively coupled to controller(s)configured to further process data measured by the sensor(s) as well asimplement control of the sensor(s) and the sump pump based on calculatedparameters. The controller(s) may utilize the calculated water level tocontrol the sump pump (e.g., to activate or deactivate the sump pumpwhen low water or high water thresholds are crossed), to determineoperating status of the sump pump system and its components, such asproper functioning of a pump activation switch, operating condition ofthe pump, or a backflow condition. The implemented control may includeactivating or deactivating the sump pump, adjusting operating parametersof the sump pump, or sending a notification to a user. The describedsystem may be applied to any water management systems where it isdesirable to monitor water levels continuously or on demand, to treat awater condition (e.g., an excess water), and/or alert to the detectedwater level condition. The continuous water level monitoring system maybe utilized in residential as well as commercial water managementsettings.

Generally speaking, sump pumps are used in areas where lower levelflooding (e.g., ground level or below ground level) may be a problemand/or is a recurring problem. A typical sump pump system comprises asubmersible impeller type pump disposed in a sump basin. The sump basinis a holding cavity formed by digging a recess into the floor of a lowerlevel of a property, such as a ground level or below ground level (e.g.,a basement) of a property (e.g., a home, an office, or any otherbuilding or structure). The sump basin acts both to house the sump pumpand to collect accumulated water. Water may accumulate in the sump basinwhen excessive amounts of rain, snow melt or ground water saturate thesoil adjacent to the property and/or property lower level floor. Watermay also enter the sump basin via drainage pipes that have been placedinto the ground to divert any excess water into the sump basin beforethe water can begin to permeate foundation walls, floors, etc., or watermay enter the sump basin through porous or cracked walls, floors, etc.In any event, the sump pumping action of a sump pump removes wateraccumulated in the sump basin so that potential lower level flooding maybe avoided. When water is pumped out of the sump basin, the water isdischarged via pipes to an area away from the property such as into amunicipal storm drain, a dry well, a water retention area, etc.

One can generally assume that in a properly functioning sump pumpsystem, when the sump pump is not active or engaged, no standing waterexists in the sump basin (or the level of standing water is below thelevel accessible for the pump impeller). When water begins flowing intothe sump basin and the water level rises, a conventional sump pumpsystem with a discrete on/off switch (for example, a mechanical switchor a point water level sensor) will activate the sump motor when thewater level reaches a designated critical high water level mark orthreshold. Notably, conventional sump pump systems detect only two waterlevels: a high water level or mark and a low water level or mark. Suchconventional sump pump systems present several drawbacks. As apreliminary matter, a conventional sump pump system is generally unawareof the precise water level in the sump basin when the water level isbelow the low water mark, above the high water mark, or in between thetwo water marks. This imprecise two-point water level detection can beproblematic in a number of scenarios.

For example, in a situation where the inflow of water stops before thewater reaches the high level mark, a conventional sump pump system witha discrete on/off switch may not activate, resulting in some of the sumppump system components being submersed in water until the water eitherevaporates or until the next water inflow event occurs and brings thewater level to the high level mark sufficient to activate the sump pumpand drain the water. Long-term submersion of a sump pump in standingwater may lead to issues such as rusting of its components oraccumulating of mineral deposits, eventually leading to premature ageingor failure of the sump pump system.

The described system offers several advantages over sump pump systemsthat rely only on a discrete on/off switch. A sump pump system equippedwith means for continuous water level detection can detect and respondto a variety of water events and soft mechanical failures. The specificexamples of how the described system can detect and respond to waterevents and soft mechanical failures will be described in greater detailbelow with reference to FIGS. 1, 3A-C, and 4. The described system canbe utilized as a primary sump pump activation system, as a secondarysump pump activation system or as a backup system to a discrete on/offswitch or any other suitable sump pump activation system. The describedsystem also can be utilized as a system configured to detect and/orresolve soft mechanical failures in addition to or alternatively toactivating the sump pump.

Turning to the figures, FIG. 1 illustrates an example sump pump system100 including a sump pump controller 146, a tether 136, and a sensorassembly 134 configured to continuously detect or calculate gravityvector values and to continuously calculate a water level based on thegravity vector values. As shown in FIG. 1 , the sump pump system 100 maybe part of an example sump pump network system 160.

The example sump pump system 100 includes a sump pump 102 located in asump basin 104. The sump pump 102 and a sump pump motor 106 may beenclosed in a housing 108. The sump pump motor 106 may also be referredto herein as the motor 106, and the sump pump 102 may also be referredto herein as the pump 102. While the sump pump 102 in FIG. 1 is shown asa submersible type sump pump (e.g., where the motor 106 and the sumppump 102 are mounted inside the basin 104), the sump pump 102, ingeneral, may be any type of sump pump, such as a pedestal type sump pumpthat is mounted above or outside of the basin 104. As shown in FIG. 1 ,the sump basin 104 is a well-like cavity or hole formed through a floor110 of the property 150. The example sump pump system 100 includes awater inlet pipe 112 terminating at the sump basin 104, and a dischargepipe 114 (also referred to herein as an outlet pipe) connected to thesump pump 102 to carry water out of the sump basin 104. An impeller 118of the sump pump 102 draws in water through a pump inlet 120, and pumpsthe water up the discharge pipe 114 to an outlet 116. In the illustratedexample, the discharge pipe 114 extends upward from the sump pump 102and then out of the building. However, other arrangements may beimplemented. The discharge pipe 114 may be outfitted with a check valve122. The check valve 122 allows water to flow up through the dischargepipe 114, but does not allow the water in the discharge pipe 114 to flowback into the sump basin 104 when the sump pump 102 is off. A weep hole124 in the discharge pipe 114 allows excess air to escape from the pipe,preventing air binding, also known as air locking. The opening of thesump basin 104 may be protected by a cover to prevent objects fromfalling into the basin, and to keep noxious gases (e.g., radon) fromentering the property 150. In the case of a sealed sump pump basin 104,an air vent 126 may be needed to relieve excess air pressure in thebasin.

Generally, the sump pump 102 may be electrically powered and hardwiredinto the electrical system of the property 150. Additionally and/oralternatively, the sump pump 102 may be powered by a battery or otherindependent power source (not shown for clarity of illustration). Ifdesired, this other power source may provide power to the sump pump 102in response to the sump pump 102 losing primary power.

The sump pump system 100 may be configured to continuously detect awater level and to operate in accordance with the continuously detectedwater level. If desired, in some embodiments the sump pump system 100may also be configurable to operate based on discrete detection of twolevels: a high and low water level.

Regarding discrete detection of two water levels, operation of the sumppump 102 may be controlled by a pump activation switch 128 in responseto a water level in the basin 104 bypassing high and low water marks 130and 132, respectively. For example, the pump activation switch 128 mayactivate the sump pump 102 when a water level in the sump basin 104reaches a preset level, for example a water level 130 (sometimesreferred to as the high water level or high water mark 130). The presetlevel 130 may be determined by the placement of the pump activationswitch 128. The preset level may be determined by other criteria, andthe pump activation switch 128 may be configured to activate at thedetermined preset level. In illustrated example of FIG. 1 , the pumpactivation switch 128 is shown in the form of a float switch, althoughother technologies such as liquid level sensors may also be used.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the pump activation switch 128 is connected to themotor 106 of the sump pump 102. In some embodiments, the pump activationswitch 128 is a level sensor, such as a float switch. When the risingwater in the basin 104 lifts a float of the pump activation switch 128to a high water level or mark 130, the float rises a rod, whichactivates and/or energizes the motor 106 to begin pumping water. Inother embodiments, the pump activation switch 128 may be a mercury tiltswitch. The rising water in the basin 104 lifts and tilts a float of thepump activation switch 128 and, when the float reaches the high waterlevel or mark 130, a sufficient tilt causes a small amount of liquidmercury to slide towards open electrodes to close an electrical circuit,which activates and/or energizes the motor 106. As water is pumped outof the sump basin 104, the water level drops to a low or initial waterlevel or mark 132. The falling water level carries the pump activationswitch 128 back to an initial or low water level or mark 132, at whichthe pump activation switch 128 is deactivated. Thus, the motor 106de-energizes or shuts off at the initial or low water level or mark 132.

Regarding continuous water level detection and sump pump operation, thesump pump controller 146 may control the sump pump 102 by continuouslydetecting and monitoring the change in the water level in the sump basinand/or activating/deactivating the sump pump 102 based on thecontinuously detected water levels. A properly placed sensor assembly,such as the sensor assembly 134, may provide continuous data on thelevel of water in the sump basin 104 over time. The data can be used toactivate the pump 102, to deactivate the pump 102, to monitorperformance of the pump activation switch 128, to act as a backup pumpactivation/deactivation system, to indirectly detect soft mechanicalfailures in the sump pump system 100, and/or to detect instances offlooding that may overwhelm the sump pump system 100.

The sensor assembly 134 may be configured to communicate with the sumppump controller 146, which may be configured to communicate with othercomponents of the sump pump system 100, or components of a sump pumpnetwork system 160 (described below). The sump pump controller 146 mayalso be referred to in this specification as the controller 146. Thecontroller 146 is configured to receive and analyze data from one ormore sensors in the sensor assembly 134 using built-in computingcapabilities or in cooperation with other computing devices of the sumppump network system 160 to identify specific issues or failures of thesump pump system 100, and in some instances remediate the issues, and/orgenerate an alert regarding the detected failures. Interactions betweenthe sensor assembly 134, the controller 146, and the components of thesystem 160 are discussed below in more detail. In embodiments, thesensor assembly 134 may be communicatively coupled to one or morecontrollers (e.g., configured to calculate, detect, or estimate waterlevels based on detected gravity vectors; not shown) that are in turncoupled to the controller 146.

The sensor assembly 134 may include one or more sensors that transduceone or more of: light, sound, acceleration, translational or rotationalmovement, strain, pressure, presence of liquid, or other suitablesignals into electrical signals. The one or more sensors of the sensorassembly 134 may be acoustic, photonic, micro-electro-mechanical systems(MEMS) sensors, or any other suitable type of sensor. In an embodiment,the sensor assembly 134 includes an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and/or amagnetometer. In an embodiment, the sensor assembly 134 includes aninertial measurement unit (IMU) configured for nine degrees of freedom(e.g., position, orientation, and angular velocity measured in 3Dspace), and may include a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and amagnetometer. Utilizing a combination of sensors, the sensor assembly134 may measure orientation, velocity, and gravitational forces (e.g., agravity vector). The controller 146 is configured to determine measuredchanges in orientation of the sensory assembly 134 relative to thedirection of gravity (which is constant). These changes in the gravityvector from the perspective of the sensors in the sensor assembly yielda translational change in water level in the sump basin 104, enablingthe controller 146 to calculate water levels based on detected gravityvectors. In embodiments, the controller 146 may continuously calculateor estimate water levels based on values of the gravity vectorcontinuously detected by the one or more sensors of the sensor assembly134. In embodiments, the measurements would yield water level rise orfall rate. We explain these measurements in more detail below withreference to FIGS. 3A-3C.

The sensor assembly 134 may include pressure sensors, optical,ultrasonic, radar, capacitance, electroconductive or electrostaticsensors. Each of the one or more sensors of the sensor assembly 134 mayinclude one or more associated circuits, as well as packaging elements.The sensors may be electrically or communicatively connected with eachother (e.g., via one or more busses or links, power lines, etc.), andmay cooperate to enable “smart” functionality described within thisdisclosure.

In embodiments, the sensor assembly 134 may be attached to or disposedon, at, or within the sump basin 104. In embodiments, the sensorassembly may be attached to or disposed on, at, or within the tether136. Generally speaking, the sensor assembly 134 may be disposed on orwithin the water, and may be responsive to the water such that, when thewater level rises or drops, the sensor(s) responsively andproportionally rise or drop. In embodiments, the sensor(s) of the sensorassembly 134 may be configured to detect values for a gravity vector,wherein the sensor assembly is attached to the tether such that thesensor detects a change from a first value to a second value for thegravity vector when the distal end rotationally moves around theproximal end of the tether.

The tether 136 may be disposed at, on, throughout, embedded within, orin mechanical connection to a non-moving component within the sumpbasin, such as a wall of the sump basin 104, the sump pump housing 108,or the discharge pipe 114 in such a way that a proximal end of thetether 136 is configured to be proximal to the point of attachment or ananchor point 138. Generally speaking, the distal end of the tether isconfigured to be distal to the anchor point 138 and extending into thesump basin 104. Generally speaking, the phrase ‘proximal end of thetether’ refers to the end nearer the point of attachment or the attachedend (e.g., attached to the anchor point 138), and the phrase ‘distal endof the tether’ refers to the end of the tether further from the point ofattachment or the unattached end (e.g., the anchor point 138). Inillustrated example of FIG. 1 the proximal end of the tether 136 isattached at the anchor point 138 to an inner wall of the sump basin 104,and the sensor assembly 134 is positioned at the distal end of thetether 136. In the illustrated examples of FIGS. 3A-3C, the tether 302is attached to sump pump housing 306 at an anchor point 309, and asensor assembly 304 is positioned at the distal end of the tether 302.The sensor assembly may be positioned at any point between the distaland the proximal ends of the tether (e.g., at a distal end, at midline,etc.).

Referring back to FIG.1, the anchor point 138 may be a point of immobileconnection between the proximal end of the tether 136 and the site ofattachment, such as a welded, glued, or a mechanically fixed connection.In embodiments, the anchor point 138 may be a hinge or a spring to whichthe proximal end of the tether is attached. The anchor point 138 may bepositioned a short distance (e.g., 10, 20, 30, or 50 mm above) above thelow water level or mark 132 in the sump basin 104.

In embodiments, the tether 136 may be mechanically linked to a float 140(e.g., at or near the distal end of the tether 136) such that a changein a vertical position of the float 140 causes a corresponding change inthe vertical position of the distal end of the tether 136. The float 140may be any suitable float weighing less than the water it displaces. Forexample, the float 140 may be a hollow or a solid object of any suitablematerial with material density smaller than 1 g/cm³. The float 140 maybe directly attached, disposed at, on, throughout, or embedded withinthe tether 136. In embodiments, the float 140 may be linked to thetether 136 via the sensor assembly 134. In this case, the float 140 maybe directly attached, disposed at, on, throughout, or embedded withinthe sensor assembly 134, which may in turn be attached to the tether136. In embodiments, the float 140 and the sensor assembly 134 may belinked or attached to the tether 136 at different locations. Inembodiments, the positions of the float 140 and the sensor assembly 134on the tether 136 may be adjustable.

The tether 136 may be rigid or a semi-rigid in nature, and may be madeout of any one or more suitable materials. For example, the tether maybe comprised of any suitable solid metal, metal alloy, a polymer, or acomposite material. The material(s) stiffness may be known as defined bya modulus of elasticity in tension or the material's Young's modulus.For example, the tether 136 may be comprised of material with a Young'smodulus between 1 and 100 GPa. The material composition of the tether136 may be chosen such that the tether will undergo a desired elasticdeformation within the range of the loads applied to it by the change inthe water level within the sump basin 104. In some embodiments, thematerial composition of the tether 136 may be chosen such that thetether will undergo no deformation within the range of the loads appliedto it.

In an embodiment, the tether 136 may extend into the sump basin 104 in aplane perpendicular to the surface of attachment. In some embodiments,the tether 136 may extend into the sump basin 104 in a plane parallel tothe ground plane or a plane positioned at an angle between 0 and 90degrees to the ground plane. In some embodiments, the tether ispositionable and biased to a resting state in which a shorteststraight-line distance between the distal end and the proximal end is afixed value. For example, the tether may be rigid or semi-rigid suchthat it has a relatively consistent resting state and/or shape (e.g., arelatively straight line). If desired, the tether 136 may be deformablesuch that it is positionable to one or more other states in which theshortest straight-line distance is less than the fixed value. Forexample, the tether may be generally semi-rigid and straight, but may besufficiently deformable or elastic such that one end can be “bent back”toward the other end (thereby shortening the shortest straight-linedistance between the ends). Generally speaking, the tether's semi-rigidor rigid properties are chosen such that the tether is biased to retainits shape in spatial coordinate system at the first state. The firststate may be the state at which no load is applied to the tether and itdoes not experience any stress deformation. If desired, the tether isfurther positionable to a second state in which the shorteststraight-line distance between the proximal and distal ends is less thanthe fixed value. For example, assuming the tether typically maintains arelatively straight and linear shape, it may have a degree offlexibility enabling it to bend, thus bringing the distal and proximalends closer to each other when measuring the shortest distance betweenthe two ends.

The tether 136 may be any suitable shape or size that enables the distalend of the tether 136 to move rotationally around its proximal end,unobstructed by the sump pump system components. For example, the tether136 may be a rectangular prism, where tether thickness is less than itslength and tether width is greater or equal to its thickness, and wherethe length of the tether is the length from the proximal to the distalend. In embodiments, the tether may have a width equal to its length. Inembodiments, the tether may have uneven thickness and uneven width. Thetether's dimensions may depend on the dimensions of the sump basin 104.For example, the length of the tether 136 may be a fraction of thegreatest distance between the sump basin wall and the sump pump housing108 (e.g., ¼, ⅓, or ½ of the distance). For example, in a cylindricalsump basin of a diameter of 18 inches and a sump pump housing diameterof 6 inches, the tether may be between ½ and 6 inches long. A tether 136with a length between ½ and 6 inches may be between ⅛^(th) and 2 incheswide, and between 1/16^(th) and 1 inches thick. The described tetherstructure would be contained to an area such that the tether 136 and anycomponents linked to the extended part of the tether 136 would not comeinto contact with any other stationary or movable parts of the sump pumpsystem 100. This would eliminate any potential binding or obstructingissues with other devices in the sump pit.

In embodiments in which the tether 136 is rigid, the tether 136experiences few, if any, changes in any dimension of the tether 136under the forces of rising or falling water levels in the sump basin104. When rigid, the shortest straight-line distance between the distaland the proximal ends of the tether 136 is a fixed value (e.g., thedistance being the length of the tether 136) that does not change inresponse to forces exerted on the tether 136 from rising and fallingwater levels. The tether 136 may be rigid in embodiments in which thetether 136 is attached to an anchor point via a hinge or some othermechanism that enables the proximal end to attach to a pivot, therebyenabling the distal end to rotate around the proximal end.

In embodiments in which the tether 136 is semi-rigid, the tether 136 mayexperience strain within the bounds of elastic deformation under theforces of rising or falling water levels in the sump basin 104. In suchembodiments, the dimensions of the tether 136 may change (e.g., byflexing). The tether 136 may then return to its resting dimensions whenlittle or no force is exerted on the tether 136. For example, it mayreturn to resting dimensions when the water level is still (neitherrising or falling) or when there is no water in the sump basin 103. Insuch embodiments, the tether 136 may be positionable to one or moreother states (i.e., other than the resting state) in which the shorteststraight-line distance between the distal and the proximal ends shrinksrelative to the shortest distance when the tether 136 is in a restingstate (e.g., when one end flexes back toward the other end). In otherwords, the forces of rising or falling water may exert pressure or forceon the unattached distal end of the tether 136 (e.g., via a floatattached to the distal end) sufficient to cause the distal end to flex,bend, and/or rotate around the anchored proximal end of the tether 136.Tethers of lower or higher stiffness or rigidity will respectively bendmore or less under the same applied forces. For example, the tether 136may be adapted to have a certain stiffness and length such that theshortest straight-line distance between the proximal and distal endschanges by no more than a certain percentage (e.g., between 1% and 15%)of the resting length given the typical forces exerted in a sump pumpbasin. In an embodiment in which the tether 136 is semi-rigid anddeformable, the tether 136 may be robust to mineral deposits due thetether 136 flexing under pressure and thereby preventing accumulation ofmineral deposits on the surface of the tether 136.

In embodiments, the tether 136 and/or the sensor assembly 134 may beencased in protective housing. The housing may be impermeable to water(e.g., a boot made of water impermeable material such as rubber orplastic), protecting the tether 136 and the sensor assembly 134 fromwater corrosion and contact or entanglement with other sump pump systemcomponents. The housing may be porous or semi-porous, allowing contactwith water but protecting the tether 136 and the sensor assembly 134from contact with other sump pump system components. The float 140 mayor may not be encased in the protective housing with the tether 136 andthe sensor assembly 134.

When the sump pump 102 and/or the motor 106 fails, flooding may ensue aswater fills up the sump basin 104 and overflows above the level of thefloor 110 of the property 150. The amount of water that overflows canvary from a few inches to several feet, which may result in substantialwater damage to the structures of property 150, as well as personalbelongings. Accordingly, the ability to maintain sump pumps, and todetect and resolve impending sump pump failures before they occur is ofgreat importance to the property owners and the building and propertyinsuring parties. If desired, the continuous level detection techniquesdescribed herein may be implemented as a back-up to a traditional,discrete hi/low system (thereby mitigating consequences if thetraditional float system fails to activate at the high water mark forsome reason). If desired, the continuous level detection techniquesdescribed herein may be implemented as a primary control mechanism forthe sump pump 102, and a traditional float system may be utilized as aback-up. Further still, multiple tethers and sensor assemblies may beinstalled to thereby have redundant continuous level detection.

The sump pump 102 may fail because of a failure in the motor 106, whichrenders the entire sump pump 102 inoperable. The failure in the motor106 may be caused by various factors such as age, fatigue, overheating,poor maintenance, etc. Aside from the failure of the motor 106, the sumppump 102 may fail because of other soft mechanical failures of thecomponents of the sump pump system 100. For example, sediment or debrisbuild-up may cause the motor impeller 118 and/or another sump pumpcomponent to stall, thus, rendering the sump pump 102 unable to pumpwater even though the motor 106 is operational. Additionally oralternatively, the pump activation switch 128 may fail to engage inresponse to the rising water level and subsequently fail to actuate themotor 106. Additionally or alternatively, the check valve 122 maymalfunction, and back flow of the discharged water into the sump pumpbasin 104 may equal or exceed the amount of water being pumped out bythe sump pump 102. Additionally or alternatively, there might be ablockage in the discharge pipe 114, preventing water flow to the outlet116. Additionally and/or alternatively, an air pocket may cause the sumppump 102 to run dry. As such, mechanisms to maintain the sump pumpand/or detect impending sump pump failures may include monitoring forthe occurrence of such failures.

Example remedies to soft mechanical failures (such as a blockage orstuck impeller) may include altering a speed of a pump impeller,reversing a direction of spin of the pump impeller, graduallyaccelerating the impeller, or alternating gradual accelerations of theimpeller with gradual decelerations. If desired, the sump pump system100 may include a variable speed motor or controller for the sump pump102. In an embodiment, the sump pump motor 106 is a variable speedmotor; in an embodiment, it is not. Similarly, in an embodiment, thesump pump controller 146 is a variable speed controller; in anembodiment, it is not. The sump pump controller 146 may implement one ormore of the described remedies in response to detecting a softmechanical failure (e.g., detecting that the water level is rising abovethe high water mark and the pump 102 is not activating).

For example, in embodiments in which the pump impeller is reversed oradjusted in speed, a variable speed motor or controller may be includedfor controlling the pump and/or pump impeller in such a manner. In someembodiments, a variable speed motor or controller may detect a blockedimpeller by sensing that the position of the rotor or impeller is notchanging even though power is applied. To dislodge the mechanicalblockage, the controller may spin the motor in reverse direction oralternate gradual acceleration with gradual deceleration in oppositedirections. Gradual acceleration upon motor activation and gradualdeceleration upon motor disengagement may reduce initial step levelforce impact of the pump turning on or off, which may benefit the systemby lengthening the serviceable life of the motor and the marginal pipeinfrastructure.

In operation, if the sensor assembly 134 does not detect a rise in thewater level prior to the activation of the pump, then there is either nowater in the basin 104 or the water level is below or at the level ofthe float 140. In some embodiments, if the sensor assembly 134 detects arise in the water level, followed by a detection that the water levelhas reached the high water level mark 130 and that the pump 102 isactivated, then the primary sump pump activation mechanism is deemedadequate. In any event, it can be assumed that the sump pump system 100is not experiencing any soft mechanical failure. On the other hand, ifthe sensor assembly 134 detects that the water level has reached orsurpassed the high water level mark 130 and the pump 102 was notactivated, a dangerous level of water is present in the sump basin 104,which may be due to either a failure of the pump 102 or a failure toactivate the pump 102. If the sensor assembly 134 continues to detect arise in the water level after the activation of the pump 102, then watermay be on the rise and may overflow the sump basin 104, which may be dueto a soft mechanical failure that has rendered the sump pump 102 unableto pump out adequate amount of water, a backflow issue, and/or becausethe water inflow rate exceeds the pump 102 pumping rate.

One can generally assume that the backflow is zero shortly before waterin a sump basin hits a high-water mark that triggers activation of thesump pump (because, presumably, the sump pump has been disengaged for along enough period of time that, to the extent backflow is allowed viathe outlet pipe, all of the water that could have backflowed into thesump basin via the outlet pipe has already done so). Further, if afaulty check valve is allowing backflow, backflow most likely presentsitself immediately after the sump pump disengages after pumping. As aresult, if backflow is a problem, an increase in the water levelimmediately after disengaging of the pump will result from the sum ofthe backflow and the standard in-flow from inlet pipes. The rise in thewater level immediately before engaging will not include the backflow(that is, the rise in the water level at that time is likely exclusivelyattributable to the standard water in-flow). Consequently, the rise inthe water level or water rise rate at a time shortly before engagementcan be compared to (e.g., subtracted from) the rise in the water levelor water rise rate shortly after disengagement to detect backflow. Ifthese two water rise rates are roughly the same, one can conclude littleor no backflow is occurring. Alternatively, if a significant differencebetween the two exists, this suggests the sump pump system suffers frombackflow.

Generally speaking, disclosed systems automatically detect and resolvefailures in sump pump systems. In some embodiments, the controller 146can use the continuous water level measurements, taken at regular timeintervals (e.g., at 1, 5, or 10 second intervals), to estimate thevolume of water being pumped, deposited, or backflowing in the sumpbasin 104. For example, knowing the sump pump basin 104 dimensions, suchas a diameter (if the basin is a cylinder), or the bottom diameter, atop diameter, and a height (if the basin is a graduated cylinder) orwidth and length measurements (if the basin is a rectangular prism), andwater level height over time will yield a measurement of water volumeincrease or decrease over time. The controller 146 may utilize anysuitable volume formula to calculate changes in volume (e.g.,volume=πr²h for a cylinder). For example, if the basin 104 is a cylinderbasin, the controller 146 may be programmed to assume a known basinradius (e.g., 8 inches). The controller 146 may identify the distancefrom the bottom of the basin 104 to the water level (e.g., based on awater level sensor). This distance may be used for the “h” variable inthe volume formula, enabling the controller 146 to calculate volume atany given time it can detect the “height” of the water level. In someinstances, the controller 146 may be configured to account for watervolume displacement that occurs due to the pump itself being submergedwithin water. For example, a known volume of the pump at a known heightof the water level (which is generally static) may be subtracted from aformula that assumes a perfect cylinder.

Additionally, knowing the sump basin 104 capacity (e.g., in gallons) andwater volume increase over time, the controller 146 may calculate anestimate of when the sump pump basin may overflow. For example, in asump basin with a capacity of 26 gallons and an initial water volume of0 gallons, the controller 146 may calculate that a water volume increaseat 0.1 gallons per second would result in a sump basin overflow in 260seconds or 4 minutes and 20 seconds. The sump pump controller 146 maygenerate an alert, communicating an approximated time of the criticalevent of the sump basin 104 overflowing, or communicating the time(e.g., in minutes or seconds) remaining until the estimated overflow.

Additionally, functions of the sump pump controller 146 of FIG. 1 may beused together with the sensor assembly 134 to detect certain softmechanical failures, such as when the sump motor 106 becomes stuck andruns indefinitely. This may be due to a mechanical malfunction of thepump activation switch 128 or another activation element. In thisscenario, when the sensor assembly 134 detects that water level fell toor below the low water level (for example, low level or mark 132), thesump pump controller 146 may analyze the electrical load waveform of themotor 106 to determine how long the motor 106 is running. In general, ifthe sump pump 102 is working properly, then the motor 106 willautomatically shut off when the falling water carries the pumpactivation switch 128 back to the initial or low level or mark 132.However, if the pump activation switch 128 jams or otherwise fails, thenthe sump motor 106 may become stuck and continue to run for a long time.Thus, if the sensor assembly 134 is detecting water level at or belowthe low level or mark 132 but the sump pump controller 146 is detectinga long period of run time on the part of the sump motor 106 (e.g., ifthe run time of the sump motor 106 exceeds a certain length of time),then the sump pump 102 may be deemed to be experiencing a softmechanical failure.

In embodiments, the sensor assembly 134 may include a force sensor, apotentiometer, or a transducer, configured to detect deflection in thetether 136 in response to the force exhorted by the rising or fallingwater level in the sump basin 104 and translate the measurement into thechange in the water level. The sensor assembly 134 may include, forexample a piezoelectric crystal, a pneumatic, a hydraulic, an inductive,a capacitive, a magnetostrictive, or a strain gage load cell, or anaccelerometer, or any other suitable sensor capable of transducing aforce into an electrical signal. In embodiments, the sensor assembly 134may include an accelerometer that measures inertial acceleration, fromwhich water level in the sump basin 104 can be determined.

In general terms, the load cell or a strain gauge device is a mechanicalsupport with one or more sensors that detect small distortions in thesupport. The mechanical support may be the tether 136. Distortions inthe tether over time correspond to a measureable rate of acceleration,which yield a measurement of water level in the sump basin 104. In anembodiment, the sensor assembly 134 detects voltage and changes involtage in response to motion. This voltage measurement may betransduced to detect positional displacement of the sensor assembly 134,velocity of the sensor assembly 134, and/or acceleration of the sensorassembly 134.

In embodiments with a mobile anchor point connection of the tether 136(e.g., a hinge, a spring, or a pivoting joint), the sensor assembly 134may be positioned at the anchor point 138 or include sensor(s) at theanchor point 138. In some embodiments, the sump pump system 100 mayinclude a first sensor assembly including a first one or more sensorsand a second sensor assembly including a second one or more sensors. Insome embodiments, the second sensor assembly may be positioned at themobile anchor point and the first sensor assembly may be positioned atany other location on the tether. As the float 140 rises and falls withthe rising or falling water level in the sump basin 104, thedisplacement in the float's position causes a displacement of the distalend of the tether 136, which in turn translates into a proportionalmovement of the anchor point when the anchor point is mobile (e.g., amovement of the hinge, the spring, or the pivoting joint). In someembodiments, the second sensor assembly including the second sensor(s)may be configured to detect displacement in the mobile anchor point(e.g., a displacement in the hinge, the spring, or the pivoting joint)as the distal end of the tether pivots around the anchor point. In someembodiments, sensor(s) in the second sensor assembly may measuredisplacement as a change in distance or a change in angle betweencomponents of a hinge or a joint. In some embodiments, sensor(s) in thesensor assembly 134 or an additional sensor assembly may measuredisplacement as strain at the joint, such as a change in length. One ormore controllers may be further configured to continuously calculate asecond set of values for the water levels based on the detecteddisplacement in the mobile anchor point (e.g., in the hinge, the spring,or the pivoting joint). This second set of water levels may bereferenced as a back-up measurement.

In operation, the float 140 may ascend with a rising water level in thesump basin 104, resulting in displacement of the tether 136, which wouldbe detected by the sensor assembly 134, yielding a change in the waterlevel in the sump basin 104. The controller 146 may utilize the changein the water level to determine, for example, water level rise rate orwater volume rise rate in the sump basin 104. If the sensor assembly 134does not detect a change in the water level, there may be no rise orfall in the water at the level of the tether 136 or the water in thesump basin 104 is standing still. If desired, the water level at thetether 136 in the sump basin 104 may be constant. In other words, waterrise rate or inflow rate may equal the rate of water pumped out throughthe discharge pipe 114 by the sump pump 102. In an example, the sensorassembly 134 may sense a rising water level when the sump pump 102 isoperational, indicating that the inflow rate is greater than the rate ofwater pumped out through the discharge pipe 114 by the sump pump 102 andthat the sump pump system 100 is overwhelmed. This may indicate that thewater level is rising due to additional inflow (e.g., back flow from thedischarge pipe, or the vent 120, or through the floor 110 opening of anuncovered sump basin).

The tether 136 with the sensor assembly 134 may be positioned such thatin resting state the sensor assembly 134 is below the low or initialwater level or mark 132 in the sump basin 104 corresponding to thebottom of the impeller 118. In operation, if the sensor assembly 134does not detect a rise in the water level, then the current water levelin the basin 104 may be deemed adequately low to avoid, prevent, reduce,etc. corrosion of the impeller 118 and/or another sump pump componentdue to standing water in the sump basin 104. On the other hand, if thewater level sensor assembly 134 detects a rise in the water level, thenat least a portion of the impeller 118 and/or another sump pumpcomponent may be currently exposed to water and a condition forpotential corrosion may exist. Alternatively, the sensor assembly 134may be configured to detect a water rise or fall rate, water movement(e.g., a disturbance, splashing, sloshing, ripples, etc.) in the sumpbasin 104 due to the sump pump 102 running, etc. at the level or mark132.

In some examples, the sump pump controller 146 maintains, tests, etc.the sump pump system 100 by periodically (e.g., every 14 days) runningthe motor 106 for at least a short duration (e.g., 30 seconds),regardless of the amount of water in the sump basin 104. To reduce,avoid, prevent, etc. corrosion of the impeller 118 due to extendedexposure of the impeller 118 to standing, potentially dirty water, insome examples, the sump pump controller 146 periodically activates themotor 106 (e.g., every 14 days) until the level of water in the sumpbasin 104 as detected by, for example, the sensor assembly 134 is belowthe bottom of the impeller 118.

Additionally and/or alternatively, following a water event, the sumppump controller 146 may run the motor 106 until a current level of thewater in the sump basin 104 as detected by, for example, the sensorassembly 134 is below the bottom of the impeller 118 and/or another sumppump component. Example water events include, but are not limited to, astorm, a flood, a plumbing failure, etc. that causes an initial inrushof incoming water, followed by a slower flow of incoming water. Anexample method of detecting a water event includes: (i) during a firsttime period, detecting that a rate at which water is rising in the sumpbasin exceeds a first threshold; (ii) during a second, later timeperiod, detecting that a rate at which water is rising in the sump basin104 is less than a second, lower threshold; and (iii) optionallydetecting that water has stopped rising in the sump basin. The rate atwhich water is rising in the sump basin 104 may, additionally and/oralternatively, be determined by counting the number of activations ofthe motor 106 in a period of time to, for example, maintain a currentlevel of water in the sump basin 104 below the water level or mark 130.

As shown in the illustrated example of FIG. 1 , the sump pump controller146 and/or, more generally, the sump pump system 100, may be a smartdevice that is part of the sump pump network system 160. However, thesump pump controller 146 and/or, more generally, the sump pump system100 may, additionally and/or alternatively, operate as a standalonesystem.

The sump pump controller 146 may convey data, updates, alerts, etc.related to the sump pump system 100 to a smart home hub 158 at theproperty 150 via any number and/or type(s) of local network(s) 156. Thesmart home hub 158 may connect to smart home devices (e.g., the sumppump controller 146, the sump pump system 100, doorbells, lights, locks,security cameras, thermostats, etc.) to enable a user 152 (e.g., ahomeowner) to install, configure, control, monitor, etc. such devicesvia an electronic device 154, such as a smartphone, a tablet, a personalcomputer, or any other computing device. In some embodiments, the smarthome hub 158 may send alerts, updates, notifications, etc. when certainconditions occur (e.g., when the sump pump controller 146 detectspotential failure conditions) to the user 152 via their electronicdevice 154. Additionally and/or alternatively, alerts, status updates,notifications, etc. may be provided remotely via any number and/ortype(s) of remote network(s) 160, such as the Internet. Thus, the user152 may receive alerts, status updates, notifications, etc. via theirelectronic device 154 both when they are at the property 150 and whenthey are away. Moreover, alerts, status updates, notifications, etc. maybe sent to a remote processing server 162 (e.g., a server or serversassociated with insurance provider or providers) via the remotenetwork(s) 160 for remote monitoring, control, etc.

While examples disclosed herein are described with reference to the sumppump controller 146 receiving and processing data from the sensor(s) ofthe sensor assembly 134 to maintain and/or detect failures of the sumppump system 100, additionally and/or alternatively, data from thesensor(s) of the sensor assembly 134 may be sent to the remoteprocessing server 162 for processing to control, maintain and/or detectfailures of the sump pump system 100, etc. In some examples, the remoteprocessing server 162 may be part of security system monitoring server.

In some examples, data from the sensor(s) of the sensor assembly 134,and/or alerts, status updates, notifications, trends, etc. determined bythe sump pump controller 146 are stored in a cache, datastore, memory,etc. 148 for subsequent recall.

While the example sump pump controller 146 and/or, more generally, theexample sump pump system 100 for monitoring sump pumps for failuresand/or maintaining sump pumps are illustrated in FIG. 1 , one or more ofthe elements, processes, devices and/or systems illustrated in FIG. 1may be combined, divided, re-arranged, omitted, eliminated orimplemented in any other way. Further, the sump pump controller 146and/or, more generally, the sump pump system 100 may include one or moreelements, processes, devices and/or systems in addition to, or insteadof, those illustrated in FIG. 1 , and/or may include more than one ofany or all of the illustrated elements, processes, devices and/orsystems.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example 200 of the sump controller 146configured in accordance with described embodiments. For ease ofreference, the example 200 may be referred to as the computer, computingsystem, controller, sump controller, or sump pump controller 200. Theexample controller 200 may be used to, for example, implement all orpart of the sump pump controller 146 and/or, more generally, the sumppump system 100. The controller 200 may be, for example, a computer, anembedded controller, an Internet appliance, and/or any other type ofcomputing device.

The controller 200 includes, among other things, a processor 202, memory204, input/output (I/O) interface(s) 206 and network interface(s) 208,all of which are interconnected via an address/data bus 210. The programmemory 204 may store software and/or machine-readable instructions thatmay be executed by the processor 202. It should be appreciated thatalthough FIG. 2 depicts only one processor 202, the controller 200 mayinclude multiple processors 202. The processor 202 of the illustratedexample is hardware, and may be a semiconductor based (e.g., siliconbased) device. Example processors 202 include a programmable processor,a programmable controller, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digitalsignal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit(ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), a field programmable gatearray (FPGA), a field programmable logic device (FPLD), etc. In thisexample, the processor 202 may implement the functionality or operationsgenerally ascribed to the sump pump controller 146 or the controller200.

The memory 204 may include volatile and/or non-volatile memory(-ies) ordisk(s) storing software and/or machine-readable instructions. Forexample, the program memory 204 may store software and/ormachine-readable instructions that may be executed by the processor 202to implement the sump pump controller 146 and/or, more generally, thesump pump system 100. In some examples, the memory 204 is used to storethe datastore 148.

Example memories 204 include any number or type(s) of volatile ornon-volatile tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable storage mediumor disks, such as semiconductor memory, magnetically readable memory,optically readable memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), an optical storagedrive, a solid-state storage device, a solid-state drive (SSD), aread-only memory (ROM), a random-access memory (RAM), a compact disc(CD), a CD-ROM, a DVD, a Blu-ray disk, a redundant array of independentdisks (RAID) system, a cache, a flash memory, or any other storagemedium or storage disk in which information may be stored for anyduration (e.g., permanently, for an extended time period, for a briefinstance, for temporarily buffering, for caching of the information,etc.).

As used herein, the term non-transitory, machine-readable medium isexpressly defined to include any type of machine-readable storage deviceand/or storage disk, to exclude propagating signals, and to excludetransmission media.

The controller 200 shown in FIG. 2 includes one or more communicationinterfaces such as, for example, one or more of the input/output (I/O)interface(s) 206 and/or the network interface(s) 208. The communicationinterface(s) enable the controller 200 of FIG. 2 to communicate with,for example, another device, system, host system, or any other machinesuch as the smart home hub 158 and/or the remote processing server 162.

The I/O interface(s) 206 shown in FIG. 2 enable receipt of user inputand communication of output data to, for example, the user 152. The I/Ointerfaces 206 may include any number and/or type(s) of different typesof I/O circuits or components that enable the processor 202 tocommunicate with peripheral I/O devices (e.g., the sensor assembly 134of FIG. 1 ) or another system. Example I/O interfaces 206 include auniversal serial bus (USB) interface, a Bluetooth® interface, a nearfield communication (NFC) interface, a serial interface, and/or aninfrared transceiver. The peripheral I/O devices may be any desired typeof I/O device such as a keyboard, a display (a liquid crystal display(LCD), a cathode ray tube (CRT) display, a light emitting diode (LED)display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, an in-placeswitching (IPS) display, a touch screen, etc.), a navigation device(e.g., a mouse, a trackball, a capacitive touch pad, a joystick, etc.),a speaker, a microphone, a printer, a button, etc. Although FIG. 2depicts the I/O interface(s) 206 as a single block, the I/O interface(s)206 may include any number and/or type(s) of I/O circuits or componentsthat enable the processor 202 to communicate with peripheral I/O devicesand/or other systems.

The network interface(s) 208 enable communication with other systems(e.g., the smart home hub 158 of FIG. 1 ) via, for example, one or morenetworks (e.g., the networks 156 and 160). The example networkinterface(s) 208 include any suitable type of wired and/or wirelessnetwork interface(s) configured to operate in accordance with anysuitable protocol(s) like, for example, a TCP/IP interface, a Wi-Fi™transceiver (according to the IEEE 802.11 family of standards), anEthernet transceiver, a cellular network radio, a satellite networkradio, a coaxial cable modem, a digital subscriber line (DSL) modem, adialup modem, or any other suitable communication protocols orstandards. Although FIG. 2 depicts the network interface(s) 208 as asingle block, the network interface(s) 208 may include any number and/ortype(s) of network interfaces that enable the processor 202 tocommunicate with other systems and/or networks.

To provide, for example, backup power for the example sump pumpcontroller 146 and/or, more generally, the example sump pump system 100,the example controller 200 may include any number and/or type(s) ofbattery(-ies) 212.

To determine the time between events, the example controller 200includes any number and/or type(s) of timer(s) 214. For example, a timer214 may be used to periodically trigger (e.g., every 14 days) theactivation of the motor 106 for maintenance purposes. A timer 214 may,additionally and/or alternatively, be used to determine the rate atwhich water is rising in the sump basin (e.g., number of activations ofthe motor 106 required) during a period of time.

FIGS. 3A-3C depict example states 325, 330, and 350 of a sump pumpsystem 300 for continuously detecting water level in a sump basin bymeasuring a change in gravity vector at a sensor assembly relative toearth's gravitational field vector and correlating the offset angle to awater level in the basement. The system 300 represents an exampleembodiment of the system 100 depicted in FIG. 1 . The figures showdifferent operational states of the system responding to different waterlevels in the sump basin.

At a high level, system 300 relies on sensor(s) configured to detect asensor(s)' angular tilt (gravity vector relative to the sensor assemblyhousing) relative to the earth's gravitational field vector, which canbe analyzed to calculate water level in the sump basin. These sensorsmay be accelerometers, three-axis accelerometers, gyroscopes, gravitysensors, rotation vector sensors, inertial measurement units (IMUs),magnetometers, force acceleration sensors, or sensors configured fornine degrees of freedom. For example, accelerometer(s) may be configuredto detect a rotated gravitational field vector that can be used todetermine pitch and/or roll orientation angles of the sensor(s), whichcan be analyzed to calculate sensor(s) vertical displacement, furtheryielding water level in the sump basin. Generally speaking, anaccelerometer may be used to detect the gravity vector. For example, anaccelerometer may be configured such that, at rest on the surface of theearth, it will measure an acceleration straight up due to the Earth'sgravity. Further, an accelerometer may be configured such that, in freefall, it will measure an acceleration of 0. Accordingly, detectedacceleration up or down may be utilized to determine a gravity vector(and/or movement of the accelerometer up or down).

In the example system 300, a sump pump 307 is located in a sump basin301. The sump pump 307 is enclosed in a housing 305. A proximal end 303of the tether 302 is configured to be proximal to and attached to thehousing 305 at an anchor point 309. A distal end 304 of the tether 302is configured to be distal to the housing 305 and the anchor point 309.The anchor point 309 may be immobile (e.g., a welded or a mechanicallyfused connection), or mobile (e.g., a hinge or a spring). In someembodiments, the tether 302 may be attached to any other stationarycomponent within the sump basin 301. In the example configuration, asensor assembly 306 is connectedly attached to the proximal end 304 ofthe tether 302, and a float 308 is connectedly attached to the sensorassembly 306. It should be appreciated that FIGS. 3A-3C depict onlyseveral components of a functional sump pump system, they highlightcertain components for illustrative purposes only.

FIG. 3A demonstrates the system 300 at an example state 325 representinga resting state or zero state. The zero state may be defined as a stateat which the gravity vector measured by the sensor(s) of the sensorassembly 306 (vector 312) aligns with the earth's gravitational fieldvector (vector 310); in other words, the state at which there is no(zero) difference between the orientation of the sensor(s) gravityvector relative to the sensor assembly housing and the earth'sgravitational field vector. For example, the zero state may be achievedwhen the tether 302 is parallel to the ground and the sensor assembly306 is level with the ground. In embodiments where the tether 302 issemi-rigid, the zero state may be the state at which the shortestdistance between the proximal end 303 and the distal end 304 of thetether is the greatest straight line distance defining the tether'slength, meaning the tether 302 has not undergone deformation (has notexhibited any strain under the stress of the forces of rising or fallingwater) and is at its resting state. In these scenarios, the zero statemay correspond to the first state of the tether, to which the tether isbiased. In embodiments where the sensor(s) in the sensor assembly 306measure tether deflection or strain, the tether may be biased to a stateat which the sensor(s) measure zero deflection or strain in the tether,which may also be the zero state. In embodiments, the tether may bebiased to the first state which does not correspond to the zero state.Regarding the zero state and positioning of the tether with the sensorassembly and the float in the sump basin, the sensor assembly 306 may beconfigured to attain the zero state when the water level (such as watermark 314) in the sump basin 301 is at a level deemed adequate or a waterlevel height at which the sump pump gets deactivated, for example thewater mark 314 being the low water level mark at which the sump pump 307gets deactivated. In embodiments, the zero state may be the state atwhich the sump pump gets activated, the water mark or level 314 beingthe high water mark.

The continuous water level detection system may be calibrated by thezero state or set up to achieve a zero state at a known water markcorresponding to a known water level height in the basin 301. Forexample, the tether 302 with the sensor assembly 306 and the float 308may be attached at a specific anchor point such that the sensor assembly306 and the tether 302 are aligned with the anchor point 309 at a knownwater level height (the height of the anchor point 309). In embodiments,the tether, the sensor assembly, and the float do not need to align withthe anchor point at the zero state; upon system calibration it may benoted at which water level height the system achieves the zero state(e.g., at a water level height between the low and the high watermarks).

FIG. 3B demonstrates the system 300 in a state 330, the system 300responding to an increased water level, where the water level reaches amark 316, higher than the initial mark 314. As the water rises, thefloat 308 rises, the tether 312 correspondingly deflects or changes its'configuration in space, or the distal end 304 changes position, and thesensor assembly 308 correspondingly changes position and orientation.The sensor(s) in the sensor assembly 308 detect the change inorientation of the sensor assembly 308, for example, as a change in thedirection of the gravity vector 312, or the angle between the gravityvector 312 and the gravitational field vector 310. Each measurement ofthe angular difference between the gravity vector 312 and the vector 310may be configured to correspond to a change in the vertical position ofthe sensor assembly 306, further corresponding to a water level heightin the sump basin 301.

The correlation of water level height from the gravity vector 312 may beconfigured or calibrated manually by a user, by an installer, or by amanufacturer. For example, the tether-sensor assembly-float system maycome pre-assembled or connected, or it may need to be assembled (e.g.,according to specific calibration requirements and/or sump pump systemspecifications). In embodiments, the user may need to select the heightand the attachment site of the anchor point 309 to affix the proximalend of the tether 302 inside the sump basin 301 and further calibratethe continuous water level detection system for accurate water levelheight measurements depending on the selected anchor point. Inembodiments, the location of the anchor point 309 may be pre-determined(e.g., by the manufacturer of the sump pump, by the manufacturer of thecontinuous water level detection system, by an insuring party) accordingto certain specifications (e.g., at the level of the impeller intake, atthe level of on/off switch activation or deactivation, at any levelin-between those positions, or at any other suitable level or height).The location of the anchor point 309 may also be determined based on thespecific flooding conditions at the installation site, or based on thehomeowner's insurance guidelines. In embodiments, the user or installermay choose the location of the anchor point 309 (e.g., within a certainspecified range).

Calibration of the continuous water level detection system may includerecording or marking at which water level height the system attains thezero state (the state at which gravity vector 312, measured by thesensor assembly, aligns with gravity vector 310, or earth'sgravitational field vector). Alternatively, the calibration may includeaffixing the continuous water level detection system such that thesystem attains the zero state at a certain desired height (e.g., at thelevel of the impeller intake, or the at the level of on/off switchactivation). The measured falling and rising water levels in the sumpbasin 301 may be compared to the water level height at the zero state.For example, the system may be calibrated manually by filling the sumpbasin 301 to known height levels above and below the zero state height(e.g., incrementally by 1, 2, or 5 centimeters or at 10%, 15%, 25%, 50%of the sump basin capacity) and recording the gravity vector value ateach of those levels. Alternatively, the system may be calibrated byfilling the sump basin 301 to levels at which the float 308 rises orfalls incrementally by 1, 2, or 5 cm, or to levels corresponding to 10%,15%, 25%, 50% of the sump basin capacity and recording the gravityvector value at each of those levels. The water level values in-betweenthe values recorded at calibration may be extrapolated from the obtainedvalues by any suitable means (e.g., by regression analysis, or byemploying machine learning techniques) to develop a database of expectedvector angles and corresponding water levels. In the example of FIG. 3C,the gravity vector angle measured by the sensor assembly 306 correspondsto water level 316.

FIG. 3C demonstrates the system 300 in a state 350, the system 300reaching its detected water level threshold. In embodiments, thecontinuous water level detection system may reach a maximum water levelheight when the float may not rise any higher than a threshold waterlevel, for example level 318, regardless of the actual water level inthe sump basin 301 (such as the illustrated level 320, higher than thelevel 318). In this configuration the semi-rigid tether may reach itsmaximum deflection range, where the shortest straight line distancebetween the proximal and the distal ends is the shortest distancedefined by the tether's stiffness (e.g., at 75% of the tether's restinglength). This situation may be compensated for by selecting a tether ofa defined combination of stiffness and length depending on thedimensions of the sump basin 301. For example, a shorter and more stifftether may be appropriate for a narrow and tall sump basin, and a longerand less stiff tether may be appropriate for a shallow and wide sumpbasin. The exact stiffness and length specifications of the tether 302may be calculated for specific dimensions of each sump basin.

FIG. 4 depicts an example method 400 for continuously detecting waterlevels in a sump basin and for implementing control of a sump pump basedon the continuously detected water levels. A sump pump system (e.g., thesystem 100) may implement the method 400 to control a sump pump (e.g.,activating and deactivating the pump based on detected water levels),monitor the performance of a pump activation/deactivation system, toserve as a backup pump activation/deactivation system, and/or to monitorand detect soft mechanical failures of the sump pump system. Bycontrast, typical sump pump systems do not detect water levelscontinuously, much less in the manner described regarding the method 400(e.g., via continuously detected gravity vectors).

Controlling the sump pump system based on continuously detected waterlevel values offers greater flexibility and versatility than relyingsolely on a discrete or point level sensor. A sump pump system mayimplement the method 400 to detect a malfunctioning point level sensorthat is used by the pump to detect high-water and low-water marks atwhich the sump pump activates and deactivates, respectively. As aresult, float sensors represent a single point of failure in many sumppump systems. The float sensor may be a point level sensor, which is asensor designed for point level detection (i.e., detecting a binarycondition; water is either detected at a particular point or it is notdetected) rather than a “continuous” level of detection. So for example,a float switch that detects only two “points” such as a high-water markand a low-water mark, is a point level sensor. If the float sensor doesnot perform as intended, for example gets “stuck” while disengaged ordeactivated, the sump pump may fail to detect a high-water mark in thesump basin, resulting in the sump pump failing to activate or engagewhen one would typically expect, resulting in the sump basin overflowing(and potentially resulting in a flooded basement in which the sump pumpis installed, potentially leading to costly water damage to walls,floors, furniture, electronics, etc.). Alternatively, if the floatsensor becomes “stuck” after activating or engaging, the sump pump maycontinuously run. While this may prevent an overflow of the sump basinin the short-term, the sump pump motor may quickly burn out if thiscondition is not corrected. And at that point, the sump basin is at riskof overflowing.

At a high level, a system implementing the method 400 relies onsensor(s) configured to detect a gravity vector that can be used todetermine a roll or tilt orientation angles of the sensor(s), which canbe analyzed to calculate water level in the sump basin. These sensorsmay be accelerometers, three-axis accelerometers, gyroscopes, gravitysensors, inertial measurement units (IMUs), magnetometers, forceacceleration sensors, or sensors configured for nine degrees of freedom.Generally speaking, the sensor(s) may be disposed on or within thewater, and may be responsive to the water level such that, when thewater level rises or drops, the sensor(s) responsively andproportionally change vertical position, change horizontal positionand/or tilt.

The method 400 may be implemented, in whole or in part, by any suitablehardware logic, machine-readable instructions, hardware implementedstate machines, and/or any combination thereof for implementing a systemsuch as the sump pump controller 146 and/or, more generally, the sumppump system 100 of FIG. 1 . The machine-readable instructions may be anexecutable program or portion of an executable program for execution bya computer processor such as the processor 202 shown in the exampleprocessor platform 200 discussed in connection with FIG. 2 . If desired,the smart home hub 158 or the remote processing server 162, for example,may implement the method 400, depending on the embodiment.

At a step 402, a sump pump (e.g., the sump pump 102) is implemented. Thesump pump may be configured to operate based on detected water level inthe sump basin 104. Among other components, the sump pump 102 mayinclude the motor 106 and the impeller 118 disposed in the housing 108,and attached to the discharge pipe 114. The water level may be detectedvia a point level sensor, such as the float switch 128 shown in FIG.1.

At a step 404, a float—tether—sensor assembly system is implemented inthe sump pump, which comprises the continuous water level monitoringsystem. In embodiments, the float (e.g., the float 140) is disposed inthe sump basin 104 such that it rises and falls in a mannercorresponding to rises and falls of the water level in the sump basin104. The tether (e.g., the tether 136) may include a proximal end thatis configured to be proximal to and attached to an anchor point (such asthe anchor point 138) in the sump basin 104 such that the proximal endmaintains a vertically fixed position regardless of changes of the waterlevel in the sump basin 104, and a distal end that is configured to bedistal to the anchor point 138 and to be mechanically linked to thefloat 140 such that a change in a vertical position of the float causesa corresponding change in the vertical position of the distal end,wherein the tether 136 is positionable and biased to a first state inwhich a shortest straight-line distance between the distal end and theproximal end is a fixed value and wherein a change in the water levelcauses the distal end to rotationally move around the proximal end. Thesensor assembly (e.g., the sensor assembly 134) including a sensor maybe configured to detect values for a gravity vector. The sensor assemblymay be attached to the tether such that the sensor detects a change froma first value to a second value for the gravity vector when the distalend rotationally moves around the proximal end of the tether.

At a step 406, the one or more controllers (e.g., the controller 146)continuously detect or calculate, via one or more sensors in a sensorassembly such as the assembly 134), gravity vectors as the distal end ofthe tether rotates around the proximal end. A change in the water levelin the sump basin may cause linear and rotational displacement of thesensor assembly 134. As the float 140 rises and falls with the risingand falling water levels, the semi-rigid tether 136 attached to thefloat 140 will correspondingly move or deflect. For example, in theconfiguration where the float 140 is attached to the distal end of asemi-rigid tether 136, and the proximal end of the tether 136 isanchored at the anchor point 138 and is immobile at the proximal end,the tether will bend such that the distal end of the tether will move inthe direction of the rising or falling water. A rigid or a semi-rigidtether connected at the anchor point 138 via a mobile connection, maynot bend with the movement of the float 140 (may keep its shape) and maychange its orientation in space. The sensor assembly 134, attached atthe tether, will move correspondingly with the point of the tether atwhich it is attached. As the tether moves proportionally with thechanging water levels in the basin, the sensor assembly 134 respectivelyand proportionally moves in space. In either case, the sensor assembly134 is configured to tilt in space relative to the horizontal plane. Thesensor(s) of the sensor assembly 134 may be configured to measure thetilt (or pitch, roll, or rotation, depending on the sensor(s)orientation) of the sensor(s) or the sensor(s) body. Sensor(s) in thesensor assembly 134 may be configured to detect a change in the gravityvector from the first to the second value correlated to the sensor(s)orientation from a first to a second position as a measurement of changein orientation of the gravity vector or the rotated gravitational fieldvector relative the sensor assembly body. As the water level increasesin the sump basin, the sensor assembly will measure a greater change inits orientation and in its gravity vector from the first value to thesecond value relative the earth's gravitational field. As the waterlevel drops or decreases in the sump basin, the sensor assembly willmeasure a smaller difference in its gravity vector relative the earth'sgravitational field.

At a step 408, the one or more controllers continuously calculate awater level based on the continuously detected or calculated gravityvector values. The one or more controllers correlate the change in thegravity vector with the change in the water level in the basin. Themechanical configuration of the system is such that every angularmeasurement of the gravity vector by the sensor assembly 134 correspondsto a known displacement of the sensor assembly 134 relative its knownresting or zero position, which corresponds to a distinct water level inthe sump basin 134. The zero position of the sensor assembly may be, forexample, the position at which the measured gravity vector aligns withthe direction of the earth's gravitational field vector (e.g., when theangle between the measured gravity vector and the earth's gravitationalfield vector is zero). Referring to FIG. 3A, the zero position of thesensor assembly 306 may be the position at which the float 308, theanchor point 309, and the proximal end 304 of the tether 302 are alignedhorizontally (where the tether is horizontal to the ground). Thisconfiguration may be achieved when the water level in the sump basin 301is at the water mark 314. In such a configuration, knowing the verticalposition of the anchor point 309 relative to the floor of the sump basin301 yields water level height at the zero position of the sensorassembly 306. As the water level rises, the one or more controllers mayuse the angular measurements of the gravity vector 312 relative to thegravitational field vector 310 to determine the change in the waterlevel in the sump basin that correspond to a known change in spatialpositions of the sensor assembly 306 relative its zero position. Addingthe calculated change in the vertical position of the sensor assembly tothe known water level height at the zero position will yield water levelheights for each respective gravity vector. The accuracy of thesetranslational measurements may be achieved, for example, by calibratingthe system on installation.

The system may be configured to measure water levels that fall below thezero position of the sensor assembly, for example the water mark 314. Asthe water level drops, the sensor assembly respectively moves below thewater mark 314, and the sensor assembly measures a change in the gravityvector in the opposite direction of the change measured when the sensorassembly moves above the water mark 314. For example, the negativegravity vector sign may denote a water level that is below the watermark 314.

At a step 410, the one or more controllers implement control of the sumppump based on the determined water level. The control may include thecontroller 146 activating the sump pump 102 based on a detected highwater level in the sump basin 104, for example water level at the highmark 130. The control may include the controller 146 deactivating thepump 102 based on a detected low water level in the sump basin 104.

Additionally or alternatively, the control may include the controller146 setting (temporarily or permanently, depending on internal andexternal conditions of the sump pump system) the high water mark to adifferent level (higher or lower) in the sump basin 104, resulting in anearlier or later activation of the sump pump 102. The control mayinclude the controller 146 activating a backup pump (not shown). Thecontroller 146 may determine the run time of the backup pump, which maybe determined based on the rate of the rising water level. Thecontroller 146 may communicate with the smart home hub 158 to evokeother backup systems (not shown). Additionally or alternatively, thecontroller 146 may activate an alarm to indicate to a user 152 (e.g., ahomeowner) of the detected water or water level in the sump basin, or ofthe detected failure or a condition of the sump pump system. The alarmmay be configured to be audible at the sump pump basin 104, or at theproperty level where the sump pump system is installed, or on theterritory of the property 150. The alarm may be a graphical userinterface notification made available at an electronic device coupled tothe sump pump control system, such as the electronic device 154 (e.g., asmart phone associated with the user 152, or an electronic deviceassociated with insurance provider(s), or an electronic device of anexternal service that monitors condition of the property 150, etc.). Insome embodiments, the alarm may be a notification at the remoteprocessing server 162 (e.g., associated with an insurance provider). Insome embodiments, the alarm may be a trigger to order replacement sumppump system components and their necessary fixtures. The trigger may be,for example, a push notification to the user device linked to the user's(e.g., the user 152) account with an online retailer of the user'schoice. The notification may be an alert requiring the user's approvalto complete the order.

In some embodiments, the controller 146, based on the rise ratemeasurement, may adjust the pumping rate of the sump pump 102, where thesump pump motor 106 may be a variable speed motor. A known parameter ofthe dimensions of the sump basin 104 (e.g., diameter or width andlength) and the detected water level rise rate would yield a volume ofwater rise level per unit of time (e.g., gallons per second, or gallonsper minute). The controller 146 may adjust the pumping rate of the sumppump 102 to the match or overcome the water rise rate for a specificsize of the sump basin 104. The controller 146 may implement thiscontrol in addition to or instead of generating an alert to, forexample, the user 152.

When implemented in software, any of the applications, services, andengines described herein may be stored in any tangible, non-transitorycomputer readable memory such as on a magnetic disk, a laser disk, solidstate memory device, molecular memory storage device, or other storagemedium, in a RAM or ROM of a computer or processor, etc. Although theexample systems disclosed herein are disclosed as including, among othercomponents, software or firmware executed on hardware, it should benoted that such systems are merely illustrative and should not beconsidered as limiting. For example, it is contemplated that any or allof these hardware, software, and firmware components could be embodiedexclusively in hardware, exclusively in software, or in any combinationof hardware and software. Accordingly, while the example systemsdescribed herein are described as being implemented in software executedon a processor of one or more computer devices, persons of ordinaryskill in the art will readily appreciate that the examples provided arenot the only way to implement such systems.

Referencing the method 400 specifically, the described functions may beimplemented, in whole or in part, by the devices, circuits, or routinesof the system 100 shown in FIG. 1 . The method 400 may be embodied by aset of circuits that are permanently or semi-permanently configured(e.g., an ASIC or FPGA) to perform logical functions of the respectivemethod or that are at least temporarily configured (e.g., one or moreprocessors and a set instructions or routines, representing the logicalfunctions, saved to a memory) to perform the logical functions of therespective method.

Throughout this specification, plural instances may implementcomponents, operations, or structures described as a single instance.Although individual operations of one or more methods are illustratedand described as separate operations, one or more of the individualoperations may be performed concurrently in certain embodiments.

As used herein, any reference to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment”means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristicdescribed in connection with the embodiment is included in at least oneembodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in variousplaces in the specification are not necessarily all referring to thesame embodiment.

As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,”“including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, areintended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process,method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is notnecessarily limited to only those elements but may include otherelements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method,article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary,“or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example,a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true(or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or notpresent) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (orpresent).

Further, the phrase “wherein the system includes at least one of X, Y,or Z” means the system includes an X, a Y, a Z, or some combinationthereof. Similarly, the phrase “wherein the component is configured forX, Y, or Z” means that the component is configured for X, configured forY, configured for Z, or configured for some combination of X, Y, and Z.

In addition, use of the “a” or “an” are employed to describe elementsand components of the embodiments herein. This description, and theclaims that follow, should be read to include one or at least one. Thesingular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meantotherwise.

Further, the patent claims at the end of this document are not intendedto be construed under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) unless traditionalmeans-plus-function language is expressly recited, such as “means for”or “step for” language being explicitly recited in the claim(s). Atleast some aspects of the systems and methods described herein aredirected to an improvement to computer functionality, and improve thefunctioning of conventional computers.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for detecting water levels whenimplementing control of a sump pump, the system comprising: a sump pumpdisposed in a sump basin and configured to pump water out of the sumpbasin via an outlet pipe; a float configured to be disposed in the sumpbasin such that it rises and falls in a manner corresponding to risesand falls of a water level in the sump basin; a tether including: (i) aproximal end that is configured to be proximal to and attached to ananchor point in the sump basin such that the proximal end maintains avertically fixed position regardless of changes of the water level; and(ii) a distal end that is configured to be distal to the anchor pointand to be mechanically linked to the float such that a change in avertical position of the float causes a corresponding change in thevertical position of the distal end, wherein the tether is positionableand biased to a state in which a shortest straight-line distance betweenthe distal end and the proximal end is a fixed value and wherein achange in the water level causes the distal end to rotationally movearound the proximal end; a sensor assembly, attached to the tether,including one or more sensors; and one or more controllers that arecommunicatively coupled to the one or more sensors in the sensorassembly and that are configured to: (i) continuously detect orcalculate, via the one or more sensors, values of a gravity vectorobserved at the sensor assembly as the distal end of the tetherrotationally moves around the proximal end of the tether; (ii)continuously calculate the water level based on the continuouslydetected or calculated values of the gravity vector; and (ii) controlthe sump pump based on the continuously calculated water level.
 2. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors includes a gyroscope,an accelerometer, and a magnetometer.
 3. The system of claim 1, whereinthe state is a first state and wherein the tether is deformable suchthat it is positionable to a second state in which the shorteststraight-line distance is less than the fixed value.
 4. The system ofclaim 3, wherein the tether is adapted to be sufficiently rigid suchthat the tether maintains the shortest straight-line distance within 10%of the fixed value regardless of the water level.
 5. The system of claim1, wherein the tether is adapted to be sufficiently rigid such that theshortest distance does not change regardless of the water level.
 6. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the tether is attached to the anchor pointvia a hinge or a spring.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the tether isattached to the anchor point via the hinge; wherein the sensor assemblyis a first sensor assembly and the sensor is a first sensor; wherein thecontinuously calculated water level is a first continuously calculatedwater level; wherein the system further comprises a second sensorassembly including a second sensor configured to continuously detectdisplacement in the hinge as the distal end of the tether pivots aroundthe anchor point; and wherein one or more controllers are furtherconfigured to: (i) continuously calculate a second water level based onthe detected displacement in the hinge; (ii) compare the secondcontinuously calculated water level to the first continuously calculatedwater level; and (iii) generate a verification of the first continuouslycalculated water level in response to determining that the secondcontinuously calculated water level is within a predetermined range ofthe first continuously calculated water level.
 8. The system of claim 1,wherein the one or more sensors included in an inertial movement unit(IMU) configured for 9 degrees of freedom (DoF), wherein the 9 DoFincludes: angular velocity measured in three dimensions; a positionmeasured in three dimensions; and an orientation measured in threedimensions.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly andthe tether are encased in semi-porous housing.
 10. The system of claim9, wherein the sensor assembly and the tether are encased in a waterimpermeable boot.
 11. A method for detecting water levels whenimplementing control of a sump pump, the method comprising: implementingthe sump pump disposed in a sump basin and configured to pump water outof the sump basin via an outlet pipe, wherein the sump basin includes:(a) a float configured to rise and fall in a manner corresponding torises and falls of a water level in the sump basin; (b) a tetherincluding: (i) a proximal end that is configured to be proximal to andattached to an anchor point in the sump basin such that the proximal endmaintains a vertically fixed position regardless of changes of the waterlevel; and (ii) a distal end that is configured to be distal to theanchor point and to be mechanically linked to the float such that achange in a vertical position of the float causes a corresponding changein the vertical position of the distal end, wherein the tether ispositionable and biased to a state in which a shortest straight-linedistance between the distal end and the proximal end is a fixed valueand wherein a change in the water level causes the distal end torotationally move around the proximal end; and (c) a sensor assemblyattached to the tether and including one or more sensors; continuouslydetecting or calculating, via the one or more sensors, values of agravity vector observed at the sensor assembly as the distal end of thetether rotationally moves around the proximal end of the tether;continuously calculating the water level based on the continuouslydetected or calculated values of the gravity vector; and controlling,via a sump pump controller, the sump pump based on the continuouslycalculated water level.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one ormore sensors includes a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a magnetometer.13. The method of claim 11, wherein continuously calculating the waterlevel comprises continuously calculating the water level at the sumppump controller.
 14. The method of claim 11, wherein continuouslycalculating the water level comprises continuously calculating the waterlevel at a controller included in the sensor assembly.
 15. The method ofclaim 11, wherein continuously calculating the water level comprisescontinuously calculating the water level at a controller that isexternal to the sensor assembly and that is communicatively coupled tothe sump pump controller.
 16. The method of claim 11, wherein the stateis a first state and wherein the tether is deformable such that it ispositionable to a second state in which the shortest straight-linedistance is less than the fixed value.
 17. The method of claim 16,wherein the tether is adapted to be sufficiently rigid such that thetether maintains the shortest straight-line distance within 10% of thefixed value regardless of the water level.
 18. The method of claim 11,wherein the tether is adapted to be sufficiently rigid such that theshortest distance does not change regardless of the water level.
 19. Themethod of claim 11, wherein controlling the sump pump based on thecontinuously calculated water level comprises: activating the sump pumpin response to detecting that the continuously calculated water levelhas exceeded a high water threshold.
 20. The method of claim 11, whereincontrolling the sump pump based on the continuously calculated waterlevel comprises: deactivating the sump pump in response to detectingthat the continuously calculated water level has fallen below a lowwater threshold.